The Night Is Young
by Emo Cowboy
Summary: Owen and Luke have gone out drinking at the Sundae Inn on numerous occasions, so why should this night be any different?  Because Owen should know better than to expect any night with Luke *not* to be different.  Owen/Luke, sort of.  yeah wut.


___The night is young  
I'm blacking out, but it's been fun_

___We Are Scientists - "The Scene Is Dead"_

* * *

"Bar's closin', boys!" Kathy snatches up Owen's empty tumbler glass, but is unsuccessful in retrieving Luke's. The carpenter draws the seemingly empty glass up to his mouth and shoves his tongue inside, poking around for that last precious drop of liquor, like a frog searching for that ever-elusive fly.

Rolling her eyes, Kathy waits impatiently for Luke to finish. All Owen can do is sit with his head slumped against his propped-up hand and watch through heavy-lidded eyes, chuckling under his breath as Luke finally exhales in defeat and hands his glass off to Kathy.

Kathy saunters off, and Owen can't help but watch dreamily as her long blonde ponytail swishes back and forth, back and forth, drawing his eyes down to her -

"MWUH MWUH MWUH!" Luke thrusts his hand into Owen's face, fingers curled and thumb bent into a makeshift mouth that jabbers up and down. He clumsily prods at Owen's cheek with the kissy-face hand, raising his slurring voice a few octaves. "___Ohhh Owennn let me get you another drinkkk! Mwuh mwuh mwuh!"_

Owen kicks at Luke's foot half-heartedly under the table. "Jealous." He doesn't even know what he meant by that, exactly, but at this point he's far too bombed to come up with a more clever retort.

A rough hand sets onto Owen's shoulder. Both he and Luke turn their heads to see Hayden, standing behind and in-between them, his expression bordering on dark. This isn't the Hayden who typically greeted the two of them with a booming "Hey!", this is an annoyed, ___scary_, might-not-ever-let-Owen-date-his-daughter kind of Hayden.

"Now, you two, I love your patronage, but you wanna explain why there's no other customers here tonight?" The tone of his voice suggests to Owen that he already knew the answer, but that's more than what Owen knows. Hayden's right though; the Sundae Inn is completely deserted save for them. And it was the night before the Firefly Festival, too. Festival eve nights usually brought all the townsfolk together for a night-long social function, catching up with each others' lives and planning all the ins and outs of the upcoming event.

Owen gulps and shakes his head "no". Luke's face lights up with a slappy smile. "Got no idea! Why?" he chirps.

Hayden doesn't say another word, only scowling and producing from the floor behind him, the folding chalkboard sign that normally lists the night's specials and stood outside the entrance. Everything is erased out and replaced, in a scrawl:

___CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS!  
That means Luke & Owen only!  
(they drink free)_

"Oh!" Luke exclaims. "Yeah, where's my free drink!"

Hayden fingers clench into the guys' shirt collars, and he harshly heaves them from their chairs, causing a grating rattle. "Out!"

The duo staggers in the general direction of the doors. Owen give a vague wave to Kathy, who is in the back rinsing out glasses. Luke swerves around aimlessly, answering Hayden after the man has already left the dining area.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm gettin' there!" And he ___does _get there, his toe catching in the doorframe as he stumbles out and nearly spills face-first onto the cobblestone path. Luckily for Luke, Owen's strong arms loop under his waist and steadies the energetic carpenter.

"I can't ___believe_ you wrote that on the chalkboard." Owen wants to be frustrated about it considering it earned him Hayden's wrath, but it doesn't take much for him to assume that Hayden will be easily convinced by Kathy that the prank was all Luke's doing. It ___was_ kind of funny (and would remain as such so long as Uncle Ramsey didn't hear of it). He grins at Luke, who is wobbling in place.

"I can't believe people actually ___bought_ it! Oh well, just goes to show you, some of us are just far too psychotically advanced for the rest of society!" Luke is ___definitely_ hammered, throwing around big words and unsurprisingly misusing them. Owen doesn't bother to correct Luke, because there is nothing, exactly, to correct.

They wander into the Maple Lake District. When they reach the spot where the road inclines to the Ganache Mines, Luke pauses and takes a knee, hand opened over his forehead, and making a whimpering noise before staring up at Owen with pathetic amber eyes. "Owen, man, I don't think I can make it!"

Owen towers over his friend, reaching down to give him a tug on his bandana to get Luke to really look at him. As dramatic as Luke can be, and even more so when he's been drinking, Owen's mind automatically shifts from partner-in-crime to dependable-surrogate-big-brother. "Hey, s'wrong?" he asks cautiously, more as if he's talking to Chloe than Luke.

Luke clutches his stomach, moaning exaggeratedly. "Mannnnn, it hurts! I think I'm gonna hurl!" Owen takes a few steps back, which Luke mistakes as complete abandonment. "Don't leave me heeeeeere!"

"I wouldn't, now c'mon. Get up, we're more than halfway there, anyway."

Luke obeys, carefully rising up but still teetering, groaning in what is clearly insufferable anguish. "I ___can't_, dude!" He lurches forward, mouth gaping open with a dry gag. "Aw, Owen, can't you just carry me the rest of the way?"

Owen's eyebrow quirks up. "What do I look like to you?"

"Dude, you don't really want me to ___answer_ that, do ya?" Luke's grins devilishly but it's quickly replaced by a pained grimace, and seizing at his stomach again, and Owen's protective instincts take over. Luke ___could_ be overdoing it but Owen couldn't bear the guilt that'd be on his conscience if he isn't.

"'lright, fine. You better not puke all over me, s'all I'm sayin'." Owen crouches down and Luke clumsily clamors onto his broad back, his left arm wrapping loosely around the blacksmith's neck. "And you owe me a -ow, watch it!- you owe me a drink next time!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure! C'mon, let's go! Hyah!" Luke spurs his heels into Owen's ribs, and Owen sways briefly before hooking his arms supportively around Luke's legs, and beginning what's just become the longest walk of his life.

Luke spreads his arms straight out to either side, tilting his head back as far as possible. "Whoa, man, this is awesome! You should try it sometime!"

Owen chokes out a laugh as Luke's arm returns to around his neck, and pauses to readjust his friend. "___You're_ going to carry me?"

"No, I was speaking uh... metamorphically! And don't slow down! Mush! Mush!"

Owen trudges into the Ganache Mine District, and as they approach the intersection where the road veers off to Soufflé Farm, Luke's sweaty arm tightens around Owen's neck. Owen nearly drops him, if not for Luke's legs clamping harder against his side.

"DON'T MOVE! I got 'em...just...a little closer, and..."

A swirl of fireflies is overhead, a dancing halo of light.

Luke stretches his body, his right arm, out and with all his might swings at the ring above him, other arm still collared around Owen.

Even with his unmatched strength, his inebriated state and Luke's sudden movement send Owen sprawling to the ground. Luke tumbles with him, unfazed, and somehow rolls on to his feet, still swatting at the fireflies that flutter away, escaping into the balmy Summer night.

"Yeah, an' don't come back here!" Luke's feet spring out as he sets himself into a karate stance, hands raised and held up flat, ready to judo-chop any renegade fireflies.

Owen lugs himself up to sit on the shipping bin, massaging his ribs where he's sure Luke's boots have left a mark. Luke inelegantly stumbles over and squeezes himself beside Owen on the bin, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Whew, what a night, huh? That was fun, I could do that again!"

"I thought you were sick?"

"I musta gotten over it! Like it was one of those three-minute bugs, y'know?"

"You're the ___definition_ of three-minute bug," Owen laughs out, alluding to Luke's attention span. It makes sense in his head, anyway.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I...I don't know..." Owen sighs out, and Luke's head dips closer, cheek coming to rest at the side of his friend's shoulder. Owen rolls his arm, trying to get Luke's attention. "Hey, I'm not fallin' for that! I'm not carrying you the rest of the way, get goin'. Go sleep it off."

"Okay, ___Dad_." Luke jostles Owen playfully, setting his other hand on Owen's strong forearm and grinning up at him.

"I'm jus' lookin' out for you," Owen says with a weak smile, turning his head awkwardly, eyes slipping half-shut.

Then they're impossibly close, Luke smiling mischievously and Owen thinking how this entire ___night _is a bad idea because Luke's face is moving too close to his.

And this night is ___definitely_ a bad idea because now Luke's kissing him, or he's kissing Luke. He can't really tell, only that their lips are together and...

It's a stupid thing to do, but this whole night has been stupid anyway. Owen's in a haze, and it tastes like blueberry cocktails, so it takes him a few seconds to register just ___what's_ happening before he forces his hands to Luke's chest, pushing him away ___hard_, and the two of them are on their feet, face-to-face.

"Whoa, whoa whoa whoa! ___What _are you doing?"

Luke shrugs, nowhere near as taken aback as Owen. "I dunno! It just seemed like you...you wanted me to, so uh..."

"N-No!" Owen runs a hand through his red hair fretfully, trying to find some semblance of composure. "Why? D-Did ___you_...want to?"

Luke smirks and shrugs again. "Well, if I said I did would it be a problem?"

The words swim, muddled, in Owen's mind before he ___very_ carefully unravels and says them. "Not. Not in general, uh, I guess not. But I didn't think ___you_ were-"

Owen stops abruptly. ___What_ didn't he think? He'd never openly admit it, especially since it would eventually get back to Kathy, but Selena was undoubtedly the hottest chick on Waffle Island, and for ___some_ reason, she gave Luke the time of day more than she did anyone else in town. Even though she was new and kept her guard up, her flirtatious comments flowed freely in Luke's presence. Luke, however, didn't pay her much mind besides purposefully pushing the right buttons to ignite her tantrums, so he could have a good guffaw and get back on with his day.

Actually, it wasn't ___just_ Selena that Luke had no real attachment to. Owen just ___now_ is struck how Luke has never voiced feelings for ___any _girl, too obsessed with proving his "mad chopping skills" to Dale to be interested in them.

Or, the new option that had just been unveiled, with Luke and his cat-ate-the-canary smile almost confirming it. He just. ___Wasn't. Interested_.

"Ah, man!" Luke waves a hand dismissively towards Owen, breaking up the stunned silence. "I don't care, it would never work between us anyway!"

Owen supposes he should be grateful for Luke effectively ending ___this_ before it started but it's still a stinging comment. "What...what d'ya mean?"

"Just...y'know, I mean I appreciate it and all, but I don't think I could be with someone who...well..." Luke twiddles with his thumbs, staring at his boots.

"Luke..." The alcohol's effect is beginning to dissipate and now Owen is just mired in grogginess. He rubs at his eyes absently, trying to force the sleepiness away, which causes Luke to absolutely freak.

"Hey, hey, it's cool! Don't cry!" He puts his hands up as if trying to hush a crying toddler.

"'m not..."

"We're still best buds! I won't tell anyone, swear it!"

"Tell them ___what_?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a knife in my eye!" Luke prattles over him, complete with gestures.

"Needle."

"Huh?"

"Needle. It goes 'stick a needle in my eye,'" Owen explains in a tired monotone. This is officially the dumbest night of his life.

"Yeah, but I'm not allowed in the Tailors' 'cause I told Shelly that we could trick out her loom, and maybe you'd even put a rim on it! So I won't be able to get any needles!"

Owen laughs despite himself. Possibly the deepest conversation they've ever had and still Luke manages to get sidetracked.

Luke thumps Owen on the back. "But I won't tell anyone about..." he nods at Owen, and Owen can ___only _hypothesize how Luke would finish that sentence and a horrible curiosity gets the better of him.

"About...?"

"That you're uh...well..."

He's only punched Luke once before. Three years ago, Luke and Bo played hide and seek with Chloe in the Praline Forest, with Luke as the seeker. A very forgetful seeker that ended up with a multi-colored bruise on the meat of his arm for a good few weeks.

But he wouldn't be above making it a second time if Luke even ___says_ what Owen thinks he's about to say.

"Look, I ___swear_ I won't tell anyone that you're a bad kisser, alright?"

* * *

"Luke, what happened to your arm?" Bo exclaims, catching up to the older boy as they walk to the Praline Forest. There is a black-and-blue-and purple welt revealed at the top of his arm, half-hidden by the armhole of his vest.

"Oh, ___that_!" Luke acts as if he hadn't ever seen it before, Bo's statement the only thing drawing attention to it. "Man, don't ever mess with Angela's chickens! They're ___hardcore!_"

Bo laughs, as Luke getting in an all-out scuffle with poultry isn't the hardest thing to imagine, and he gives Luke a light elbow in the side. "Hey, I bet Selena would kiss it all better for you!"

"___Dude_!" Luke jumps away from Bo as if he's made of fire, horrified. "A kiss is the ___last_ thing that it needs!"

* * *

___Haha oops, getting distracted from my SI fic again by ToT/AP. :S Well, the idea from this had been brewing for a while and I know it's a little dumb but I had to get it out. Plus there's __****__**no**_ ___Owen/Luke on this site and that displeases me. I've actually wanted (still want to?) write a longer, more srs Owen/Luke fic but oh geez, that could turn angsty and these two crack me up and I love their bromance too much to want to do anything too angsty with them._

___But __****__**this**_ ___specific idea, or the "you're a bad kisser" thing anyway, came from something that popped up in my head years ago in one of my other fandoms. And after coming to realize that that idea will never get written, I couldn't just discard such a lovely exchange. xD So I handed it off to Luke & Owen here. Hopefully I did an okay job with their personalities. I'm not 100 % pleased with Owen in this but that's prob because he's my favorite bachelor in ToT/AP and I'm just being overly nitpicky._

___Oh, and this was listed as "Friendship" because well, I don't see what's so terribly "romantic" about it, even if there is a kiss involved, lol._

___Review? Please? Yayy, I'd like that! :D_


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